–Psalm 95:1 (NKJV)
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               “Good Christian men, rejoice,
               With heart, and soul, and voice;
               Now ye hear of endless bliss:
                    Joy!  Joy!
               Jesus Christ was born for this!”
                         –Heinrich Suso

Joy, do you have it?  It is somewhat of a misnomer when you see a so-called Christian stepping on their bottom lip.  Yes, discouragement does come, read the Psalms, but overall we are to live a life full of joy.  Look at what Paul wrote.

          “Rejoice always.”  –1 Thessalonians 5:16   We should be in the habit of rejoicing.  Rejoice, if for no other reason than your name is written down in heaven.  This is not earthly joy, but spiritual, heavenly joy.  Joy that goes beyond understanding.  Joy that resides in the midst of sorrow and suffering.  Joy because of Jesus.  That’s why this is such a joyful season, Jesus came in the flesh; He came to redeem mankind.  Rejoice!

          Another thing that we are commanded to do is, “Pray without ceasing” –1 Thessalonians 5:17.  We need to live life “with a mindfulness of God’s presence all the time.  We do this by acknowledging Him throughout the day and developing a habit of talking to Him about every experience we have in life, whether it’s good or bad.” (Jack Graham)  There is a time for formal prayer.  There is a time for making your petitions known to God.  However, to develop a relationship with Christ there must be conversational prayer.  Just talking with Him, friend to friend.  During this Christmas season, take time to just talk with the Lord.  He came to earth to develop a relationship with each of us.  We must do our part to develop it.  Read what He has to say, then discuss it with Him.  People clamor that Christianity is not a religion, but a relationship, yet they will not take the time to develop the relationship.  

          “In every give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” –1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NKJV)  Listen, sometimes we must be intentional about being thankful.  We may sit down at the table and mutter a short prayer of thanksgiving, but what about the tough times?  What is there to be thankful for?  There must be a time when we contemplate the situation and then thank the Lord.  In the midst of life’s trials, sufferings, difficulties God is good.  The situation may not be good, but God is!  Therefore, no matter the situation you are going through, God is with you and God is good.  The Father sent His Son for us–if that isn’t “good” I don’t know what is.  While we were yet sinners He sent His Son to this earth for each one of us.  Think on that this Christmas.

               “He hath ope’d the heav’nly door,
               And man is blessed evermore.
               Christ was born for this!  Christ was born for this!

                    –Zane Grey  (Under the Tonto Rim)

       “So that Satan will not outsmart us.  For we are familiar with his evil schemes.”

                   –2 Corinthians 2:11 (NLT)
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Many years ago I was dealing with a mother and her wayward, troubled son.  While counseling in my office, I finally said, “You need to put your son in God’s hands.”  I was shocked, it was early in my career, when she replied sharply, “I can’t do that.  I don’t know what God might do to him.”  If we cannot trust God, then we are indeed in bad shape.  He is fully trustworthy.  God is good and He is always faithful.  However, as this portion of Psalm 106 points out, we/mankind mistrust, compromise, worship false gods, give our children over to the world system, and shed innocent blood.  How can anyone, remember these are God’s people, get so far from God?  It all begins with disobedience.

          32 — They angered Him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses on account of them;
          33 — Because they rebelled against His Spirit, so that he spoke rashly with his lips.
          34 — They did not destroy the peoples, concerning whom the LORD had commanded them,
          35 — But they mingled with the Gentiles and learned their works;
          36 — They served their idols, which became a snare to them.
          37 — They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons,
          38 — And shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted with blood.
          39 — Thus they were defiled by their own works, and played the harlot by their own deeds.  (NKJV)

       Oh, we may not place our children in reality upon the altar of Baals, but perhaps we do it more subtly.   We allow them to listen to the world’s music, spend endless hours on the phone, playing video games–are they not being sacrificed upon the world’s altar of entertainment and technology?  I am going to borrow a story from William Petersen to illustrate the idols that we so innocently play with.

                    After church on Sunday, the young couple climbed into their classy sports care and began the drive home.  “So what did you think about the pastor’s message?” the husband asked, turning on the radio.
                    “Well, it was interesting,” the wife replied, “but I don’t think it really applied to–ooh, turn the radio up, I love this song.”
                    “Don’t you love this car’s sound system?” he added as the music swelled.  “I paid an arm and a leg for this car, but it’s worth it.”
                    She suddenly thought of something.  “Honey, could we swing by my office?  I need to pick up some reports to work on this afternoon.”
                    “Working again?” he chided.  “You never rest, do you?”
                    “Well, I assume you want to keep making the payments on this car.  Besides, you work as much as I do.”
                    “Not today,” he countered.  “Football season is starting.  I’m going to camp out on that sofa all afternoon.”
                    “Oh, yeah,” she said, “I forgot.”  Then, as her favorite song ended, she asked, “So what did you think about the pastor’s message?”
                    “Well, it was all right, I guess.  But I wish he’d make it more relevant.  I just don’t see what idol worship has to do with us today.” (The One Year Book of Psalms)

       This portion of Psalm 106 is an indictment against the people of Israel, but read it again.  Is the finger pointing directly at the United States?  Have we, the people of God, mingled with the pagans and adopted their evil customs?  How much blood has been shed in the feminist pro-choice movement?  How much more will God tolerate?  How many sons and daughters have been given over to the pagan customs of our land?  Look at the curriculum being taught in our schools, look at how the media portrays gay rights and transgenderism.  We are sacrificing the blood of our sons and daughters.
       Verse 39, from the NLT — “They defiled themselves by their evil deeds, and their love of idols was adultery in the LORD’s sight.”  What idols are prevalent in America?  How about in your family?  In this wonderful Christmas season guard yourself that you do not fall into the easy trap of material idol worship.  Instead remember the word of the Lord, the value of family, and most of all, the reason for the season.  Do not allow yourself to be given over to idol worship at the altar of money, wealth, fame, career, sports and entertainment, and maintaining a certain lifestyle.  The Lord wants us to walk humbly in His sight.  (contemplate 1 Corinthians 10:19-22)

                    “His mighty works and ways
                    By Moses he made known,
                    But gave the world his truth and grace
                    By his beloved Son.”
                            –Isaac Watts

                    –Alexander Smith

       “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

                   –John 1:14 (NKJV)
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          “Look, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome Day of the LORD comes.  And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers.  Otherwise, I will come and strike the land with a curse.”
                      –Malachi 4:5-6 (HCSB)

          “Don’t assume that I came to bring peace on the earth.  I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”    
                     –Matthew 10:34(HCSB)

The first Scriptures were the last given to the Old Testament.  It contains both a promise and a warning.  Elijah will come before God judges the earth, but then there is the dire warning that unless hearts are changed that He will strike the land with a curse.  When I look at society today, I see a split in the homes, in the culture, and even within the church.
       Men denying their God-given roles; women usurping what men should be doing.  Why?  Not because of need, but because of rebellion.  Children listen more to their friends and that terrible tool–the phone more than they do to parents.  But then, what do parents tell their children?  How are they being led?  Are they listening to the wrong voices?  The last words of the Old Covenant come as a warning.  
       Then look at the words of Jesus.  The world is cut asunder by His words.  It is either accept Christ or deny Him.  Those who deny are listening to the wrong voices.  This is the beginning of the Christmas season; a time to look at the voice of the Lord through all of the joyous occasions that Christmas brings.  Think of it, the voice of the Lord had  been “silent” for around 400 years.  There were no prophets proclaiming, “thus saith the Lord.”  But in actuality God was not silent.  He was bringing about the greatest event in the history of mankind–an event that would forever change history and eternity, the incarnation of Jesus Christ.
       There are times in history when it appears that God is silent.  There may have been times in your life when it seemed that He was silent, or maybe put a better way, when you did not feel His presence for He is no longer silent.  We have the witness of the Holy Spirit and we have the written word of God from which God’s voice is heard.  However, note that whenever it seems that God is silent it does not mean that He is no longer in control.  “It should bring a great comfort to us knowing that His name is the Lord God Almighty; which means that He is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe!  He keeps His promises and His Word will be fulfilled!” (Carroll Roberson)
       Christmas time was my Mom’s favorite time of the year.  Since this is the date of her birth, why not begin December with thinking of those silent times in your life before you realized the great truth about Christmas; that time when Jesus became real in your heart and mind.  Don’t get caught up in arguing about the right season and the exact date of His birth, but recognize that He came to save mankind from the dreadful day of the Lord that is coming.
       There is a peace–a peace that comes only from God.  Yes, a sword has been drawn and there are divisions caused by that sword, but do not let that trouble you.  Do not let the other factions distract from the truth of God’s Word.  Look back at that first night, the shepherds watching their sheep.  The angelic host rise up with the words:  “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors!” (Luke 2:14, HCSB)   Peace–to those whom God favors.  This Christmas season meditate, contemplate on the glorious coming of Jesus in the First Advent.

                         –1 John 4:10 (NKJV)
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               “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
                         –Romans 8:38-39 (NKJV)

We live in perilous times, yet we live at the right time in history for this is the time and place that the Lord has set us.  The year is almost over and there is turmoil in the Middle East, there is turmoil in other places, but in the midst of that we have the promise of the Lord that nothing, I repeat nothing, can separate us from the love of God.  We should be longing more and more for the things of God, and what better time than now to start seeking Him more fervently than this day of closing out November and beginning the wondrous Christmas season?

          “My soul today is thirsting for living streams divine,
          To sweep from highest heaven to this poor heart of mine;
          I stand upon the promise, in Jesus’ name I plead;
          O send the gracious current to satisfy my need.”
                         –A. I. Zelley

All this world offers us is artificial compared to the great love of God.  The gifts He has for us is above measure and will last throughout eternity.  They are not temporal, here today, gone tomorrow.  With Christmas coming in to greet us, let us rise to meet it because it was at that first Christmas that God fully poured out His mercy with the birth of His Son–Jesus Christ.  Look at this Christmas with expectation and contemplate the completeness of His mercy and grace.

          “I see the clouds arising, the mercy clouds of love,
          That come to bring refreshing down from the thrones above,
          The earnest of the shower, just now to us is giv’n,
          And now we wait, expecting the floods of grace from heav’n.”

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16, NKJV)  This is Christmas!  God gave His son, the mystery of the Incarnation, to show His love and pour out His grace.  Light has now come into the world, the mercy of God is freely given through Jesus.  Grace and mercy–salvation–is available.  What a tremendous present from the Father.  Hearken to it this Christmas; heed the message of the birth of Christ.

          “The show’rs of grace are falling, the tide is rolling in,
          The flood-tide of salvation, with pow’r to cleanse from sin;
          It’s surging thro’ my being and takes my sin away,
          It keeps me shouting glory!  thro’ all the happy day.”

When you receive that present from a loved one this year, think of the deeper message that it represents–the special gift of Jesus by His Father.  A gift that, if received, washes the sin of our life away.  It is truly a “flood-tide”!  Maybe sometime during this Christmas season it would do you good to give a resounding shout of “Glory”!

          “It’s coming, yes, it’s coming, it’s coming down this hour,
          A torrent of salvation in saving, cleansing pow’r.
          I hear the billows surging, I see them mount and roll;
          O glory, hallelujah!  they’re sweeping thro’ my soul.

                          Like a mighty sea, like a mighty sea,
                          Comes the love of Jesus, sweeping over me;
                         The waves of glory roll, the Savior to extol,
                         Comes the love of Jesus, sweeping o’er my soul.”

Let the love, mercy, and grace reach down this Christmas season to grip your soul.